Why Do Guys Fall In Love With Girls?
by sarahliz1624
Summary: I received a MySpace bulletin by with the same title citing 25 reasons why guys fall in love with girls. It was written by a guy. These are Peter's 25 reasons why he fell in love with Claire. Paire
1. Girls Always Smell Good

1. Girls always smell good, even if it is just shampoo.

Claire Bennet was beautiful. If there was one thing that Peter Petrelli was sure of, it was that. She was gorgeous; the sort of girl that every boy dreamed would one day glance in his direction. Her golden blonde locks fell perfectly to her shoulders, framing her face in a way that made her entire being glow. And when she smiled; forget about it. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Claire was gorgeous, least of all Peter's.

But the one thing Peter always seemed to remember most about Claire was her smell. Women always smelled great, sure, but Claire had a perfect mixture of vanilla and ginger combined with a natural scent that was unique to her. And he had to admit, it drove him crazy. He noticed it for the first time the night they met. When she bumped into him in front of the trophy case the scent had overwhelmed him, not that it was too strong, just that it was distinctive and enticing and so uniquely _her_ that he couldn't resist taking it in for as long as possible.

And now, sitting in the car next to her driving away from New York he could smell it again. _Her._ And although he should have been thinking about life and death and the fate of the earth and Sylar and _anything_ else in the world, all he could think about was how wonderful the teenager next to him smelled and how badly he wanted that smell in his life for forever. It smelled like home.

If they ever made it back to the mansion, he would have to remember to check what kind of shampoo she used, because _damn_ that girl smelled good.


	2. Their Heads Always Find the Right Spot

2. Their head always finds the right spot on our shoulders.

Although he'd never admit it to anyone, Peter was scared. The events of the last few months had put a lot of strain on him. Between his brother's campaign, his "suicide attempt", and trying to save the world, there hadn't been a lot of down time. People were counting on him, expecting him to fix everything. All he really wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep for a year or two. At least Claire was there with him, he thought. He wasn't completely alone.

Peter and Claire sat side by side at the rental dealership. The lady behind the counter told them to take a seat; that she would be with them in a moment, so they sat. Peter allowed his eyes to flutter shut for a moment while they waited. No more than thirty seconds had gone by when he felt a light pressure on his arm. He opened his eyes to find a blonde head of hair had found its way to his shoulder and was now resting peacefully. Peter smiled and set his chin on her head, breathing her in.

_'At least I'll have _**one**___good memory from today.'_


	3. How Cute They Look

3. How cute they look when they sleep.

Peter was walking down the hallway of the mansion when he first heard it. He stopped for a moment and tried to identify the sound. Yes, that was definitely snoring. He approached the door to the parlor and leaned his head against the dark wood. It wasn't a loud snore, more like the soft hum of a humidifier, but noticeable all the same. Turning the knob slowly, so as not to wake whoever was sleeping, he pushed the door open gently.

It couldn't have been his mother; she wouldn't have been caught dead sleeping anywhere but her own room with the door shut. Nathan snored, Peter knew, but it was a deep, manly snore, not this dainty sniffle. The boys were both upstairs in bed; Peter had said goodnight to them himself. It must have been Heidi, he reasoned, peeking his head into the dimly lit room. The television was whirring softly, giving the walls a soft blue glow. He took two steps into the room before his eyes fell on the source of the noise.

Claire Bennet lay on the sofa, her legs curled up in front of her and her hands folded under her head, sound asleep, snoring quietly.

Peter's face immediately broke into a smile. He approached the couch carefully, not wanting to disturb her. He pulled the blanket from the back of the chair and laid it gingerly over her tiny frame. Brushing a stray strand of hair back from her face he stared down at her. "Sweet dreams." he whispered, gazing for just another moment before turning his back and heading for the door. He had just flipped the television off when he thought he heard her speak. Her voice was so soft he was sure that he might have imagined it.

"Sweet dreams, Peter."

He could never be certain if she'd actually said it or not. The only thing he was sure of was that when he closed the door behind him, she wasn't snoring anymore.


	4. How Easily They Fit

4. How easily they fit into our arms.

Peter dropped his coat onto the floor and kicked off his shoes before glancing into the living room just in time to see Claire flop down face first onto the couch. He chuckled to himself. It had been one of those days. Nathan was being a pain in the ass (as usual) about his campaign, and wanted Claire to go away until the election was over. Go to Paris with her grandmother for a week, if not longer.

Peter couldn't let her go. He needed her there, he needed her help. For better or worse, she was the only one he trusted. She was his other half, the person who was supposed to help him solve this mystery and save the world. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. Before any world saving could be accomplished, they both needed a shower and some food.

"Claire, are you as hungry as I am?" he called from the kitchen, searching the cabinets. He didn't think they could get much barer, but anything was possible. After a moment more of searching he realized she hadn't answered. "Claire?" he called again. Still nothing.

Peter panicked. Rushing though the apartment in search of his niece he finally found her in the bathroom, door slightly ajar and shower water running, sitting on the edge of the sink with her feet on the toilet. "Jeez, Claire, you scared me. What're you doing in here?"

Claire brushed the tears back from her face quickly. "Nothing. I'm sorry. I came in here so I wouldn't worry you. Everything's just really messed up right now."

"I know." Claire stood up suddenly, slipping her arms around Peter's middle and easily fitting into a warm embrace, cuddling her face into his chest. It was as if Claire Bennet had been made to belong in his arms.

Peter wasn't sure about her, but he certainly felt a whole lot better.


End file.
